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Swiss Confederation
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a sovereign nation-state in western Europe and one of the few to survive the Great War relatively intact. Prior to the war, Switzerland was staunchly neutral, allowing it to avoid being the target of any nuclear powers. However, radioactive fallout still reached the country, but it managed to survive thanks to its system of bunkers and partially due to its elevation. Remaining fairly isolationist in the first few decades after the war, Switzerland would rise to become a major power in post-war Europe by the 2180s. It would be involved in several conflicts, most famously fighting against the Bohemian Bandit States in Bavaria and former Czechoslovakia. History Pre-War Resource Wars and Great War Isolation Bandit Wars Government Military see also Swiss Armed Forces The Swiss Armed Forces are essentially a continuation of their pre-war counterparts, who emerged from their bunkers after the Great War to continue acting as the primary defensive forces of the country. During peacetime, the armed forces are controlled by the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, with the highest military officer being the Military Chief of Staff, who holds the rank of Lieutenant General, and reports directly to the DDFS. During wartime, a Commander in Chief may be elected by the Federal Assembly, holding the rank of Full ("four star") General. The Swiss Armed Forces consist of the Army and Air Force, as well as intelligence services. As Switzerland is a land-locked country, there is no Swiss Navy, though the Army operates flotilla of small boats on the lakes located along the border (such as Lake Geneva). The Swiss military has mandatory national service for all able-bodies males from age 19 to 34, with women also being allowed to serve in all positions should they volunteer. The majority of Swiss servicemen are effectively a militia, who, after completing training, are called up for a short period of every year for training exercises, or in the event of an outside attack or other emergency, with only about 5% serving as full-time professional soldiers. Swiss citizens from 35 to age 50 can also serve as a second line of reservists if necessary, meaning that much of the population can be called up in event of emergency. Troops receive military instruction in the language of their local canton, and are placed into units speaking that language, with the exception of Romansch speakers, who are few in number and are trained in German. The multiple languages of the country are rarely an issue in military organization as most Swiss speak at least two of the national languages. Unique among militaries, in order to expediate rapid mobilization of reserves, Swiss troops may keep their service weapon and a package of ammunition at their home (though the ammunition may only be used in the even of mobilization, though private purchase of ammunition for target shooting at ranges when off-duty is allowed, as is the ownership of privately owned firearms. The Swiss Army consists of two infantry brigades, two mechanized brigades, and two armored brigades, as well as four territorial divisions providing additional troops at a localized level. The Swiss Army operate a variety of pre-war equipment stored in bunkers or recovered in the field after the war. The standard infantry rifle is the SIG 550 series, though some reservists may carry older weapons found in storage and civilian ownership, such as the SIG 510 battle rifle and WWII-era K-31 bolt-action rifle. The Swiss army also makes use of various handguns, machine guns, sniper rifles, energy weapons, rocket launchers, energy weapons, mortars, artillery pieces, vehicles, and other weapons. Commonly operated vehicles of the Swiss Army include the Panzer Pz. 42, a pre-war license-built copy of the German Löwe main battle tank, as well as the MOWAG Barracuda APC, the MOWAG Eagle light armored vehicle, and various trucks and other transport vehicles. The Swiss Air Force operates some 270 aircraft that survived the war, often in bunkers, including 102 jet fighters, including 65 advanced French-made Mirages, with most of the remainder being UK-made DH-520s. The most of the remainder are propeller-driven aircraft, including propeller-driven transports, historic fighter aircraft refurbished with nuclear-powered engines, and repurposed civilian aircraft. Also included are 68 helicopters of varying types. Category:Pre-War Countries Category:Post-War Factions Category:Locations